Differences between Loose Absorbents and Sorbents

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What are spill absorbents?

Spill absorbents are any material that will safely and reliably soak up spills of a hazardous nature.  However, the key words here are safely and reliably and many materials are risky when used in hazardous situations. To that end, we have grouped our solutions into two types that rise to those measures:

1. Loose Absorbents
2. Polypropylene Sorbents

What are Loose Absorbents?

Loose absorbents are granulated material typically supplied in varying size bags. Loose absorbents work particularly well on rough or damaged surfaces, or any situation where pad-style sorbents could prove ineffective.

At Hazero we have 4 different types of loose absorbent:

1. Mineral Sponge – an inert mineral, white and chalky in texture
2. Enviropeat – a sphagnum peat, brown and 100% organic
3. Rocksorb – a non-toxic pumice absorbent, mined in NZ
4. Absorbent W – a reclaimed pulp product, floats and selectively absorb hydrocarbons

What are Polypropylene Sorbents?

Polypropylene sorbents are a rugged range of products, made from melt-blown polypropylene, which is a very fast and effective absorbent, and one that will hold and retain liquid like nothing else. It is a synthetic product that has no shelf life, meaning they lose none of their effectiveness, regardless of their age.

Polypropylene sorbents come in 6 different forms:

1. Pads – roughly 500mm square, and widely used for cleaning up spills on flat surfaces.
2. Rolls – same as the above but supplied in roll form. Rolls come in 50m lengths with options of 400 or 800mm in width.
3. Socks – 75mm in diameter, and either 1.2 or 3m in length. Designed to surround a spill and prevent it from spreading further.
4. Pillows – not unlike what we sleep on, just a bit smaller! Their purpose is for plugging drain grates or going under machinery.
5. Booms – a much larger version of the sock, these come in 3m lengths with options of 130 or 200mm in diameter. Booms are designed to float and selectively absorb oils and other hydrocarbons off water.
6. Sump Pillows – these are a tube-shaped pillow which will repel water and selectively absorb hydrocarbons from drains and boat bilges. They come with a short rope to secure in place.

Creating safer working environments

At Hazero our mission is zero hazards. Our extensive range of quality products will help you store, contain and control and clean-up dangerous goods and hazardous substances.

View our full range of Controlco Sorbents here.

Need help creating a safer working environment? Contact our team today on 0800 688 844 or email us at info@hazero.co.nz. Our team are also available for on-site assessments across New Zealand, click here to request a site visit.

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